NY Jets' projected controversial draft pick would stun the NFL world

The NFL Draft is a time of anticipation, speculation, and endless possibilities. It's built on the back of mystery and deception, making it one of the most anticipated events in all of sports. The NY Jets are no stranger to draft-day shakeups.

The team's plans entering the 2025 NFL Draft are wide open at the moment. The Jets hold the No. 7 overall pick in the draft with a number of different positions on their radar. One recent suggestion would send shockwaves throughout the NFL world.

NFL.com's Lance Zierlein posted his first 2025 NFL Mock Draft of the year on Monday, and it's safe to say that his choice for the Jets would leave many scratching their heads. Zierlein had the Jets taking Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty with the seventh overall pick.

Jeanty is widely seen as the best running back in this year's class and put together one of the most impressive college careers ever seen from a player at the position. He's a phenomenal talent, but few would agree he should be in the Jets' plans.

"The analytics community won't like this pick, but so be it. The Jets have a stagnant attack, and Breece Hall has not reached 1,000 yards rushing in any of his three seasons. Jeanty provides instant adrenaline to the offense and creates buzz in Aaron Glenn's first season as head coach."

Lance Zierlein

NY Jets select Ashton Jeanty in recent 2025 NFL Mock Draft

Zierlein's reasoning for the pick might be even worse. He cites the fact that Jets running back Breece Hall has failed to rush for 1,000 yards in any of his three seasons in the NFL as a justification for the selection.

Of course, this is ignoring that Hall rushed for 994 yards and finished top-four in the entire league in scrimmage yards in 2023. It's also overlooking that he tore his ACL just seven games into his rookie year.

Hall is coming off a disappointing 2024 season in which he dealt with ball security issues, but the Jets also used two mid-round picks on the position in last year's draft and received encouraging production from both rookies, Braleon Allen and Isaiah Davis.

It would be very difficult to justify using a top-seven pick on Jeanty given the laundry list of needs the Jets have, especially when most would consider running back one of the team's strengths.

Regardless, there's no denying Jeanty's talent. The Boise State star finished just 27 yards shy of Barry Sanders' legendary single-season rushing record, running for a whopping 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns. Despite leading the FBS with 374 total carries, Jeanty still averaged a ridiculous 7.0 yards per carry.

Jeanty is a superstar and a projected top-15 pick (if not higher) in this year’s draft, but the Jets would be wiser to prioritize bigger needs rather than loading up at a lower-value position of strength.

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